ChatGPT often refers users to Dutch suicide hotline 113

ChatGPT is increasingly directing users to the Dutch suicide prevention hotline 113, even when their mental health issues are not related to suicidal thoughts, NOS Stories reported Friday.

NOS Stories ran hundreds of automated conversations with ChatGPT, generating 11,000 responses across multiple model versions. References to 113 appeared inconsistently, depending on the query and partly at random. The new GPT‑5 model refers users to 113 far more often than older versions, which sometimes did not mention the hotline at all.

“People who have no suicidal thoughts at all, we actually cannot help,” Maryke Geerdink, clinical psychologist and head of care at 113, told NOS. “People take a step and seek help, and immediately they are told this is not the right place because they are not thinking about suicide. Then there is the risk they think: never mind, apparently my problem is not important enough.”

Yasemin, 14, said she received the advice five or six times to call 113 after seeking mental support from ChatGPT following her parents’ divorce. “It takes everything very literally. If you, for example, say you can’t handle it anymore, then it immediately asks if you want to harm yourself,” she told NOS. “I was shocked, but I couldn’t do much with it.”

OpenAI has been asked by 113 to nuance the chatbot’s advice. A spokesperson said feedback would be shared with internal teams. The company also said general measures have been announced “to better protect teenagers.”

When suicidal thoughts are clear, ChatGPT referrals are beneficial. GPT‑5 directs 100 percent of such cases to 113, compared with 98 percent for GPT‑4o. The model also sometimes advises contacting emergency number 112 or a GP after hours in cases of “concrete danger.” Police do not know if this has increased calls to 112.